Career Center

The Assistant Dean for Career & Professional Development is responsible for providing strategic vision and oversight of comprehensive career and professional development services for Catholic University law students and alumni.  The Assistant Dean conducts long-range planning for career services, developing best practices for individualized career advising, communication, and broader programming in accordance with the needs of the student population while overseeing annual reporting of employment data efforts with the ABA, US News & World Report, and other reporting entities.

• Develop, oversee, and manage a structured, strategic, professional development program to help ensure law students meet their career goals.  Reassess services and resources based on annual outcomes and evaluations.
• Oversee and manage the collection and analysis of employment data in compliance with ABA protocol. Prepare data in anticipation of possible annual audit by ABA. Ensure compliance with ABA Sec. 509 reporting requirements. Create reports as necessary for the Dean of the Law School  and various professional associations, including the American Bar Association (ABA), the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) and US News & World Report.  
• Meet with students and alumni to provide career counseling and guidance on related professional development issues. Edit resumes and cover letters and conduct mock interviews. Record and track services provided through career service management system.
• Engage with employers who recruit Catholic Law candidates through its recruiting programs and other initiatives.  Cultivate relationships with new employers to create additional employment opportunities in new markets, areas of practice, and industries.
• In conjunction with the manager of legal recruiting, supervise all on- and off-campus interview programs. Collaborate with the director of the experiential curriculum on externship opportunities and programming.
• In conjunction with the Pro Bono Coordinator, manage the law school’s student pro bono program by creating opportunities for pro bono through partnerships with organizations and employers, publicizing the Pro Bono Challenge and collecting information to provide to various national organizations including the ABA.
• Work with faculty clerkship advisors to promote judicial clerkship to students and alumni, respond to questions from faculty regarding the clerkship application process, and counsel students and alumni. Coordinate the electronic application process for federal positions through OSCAR. Work with the Associate Director to collect state court clerkship hiring and application information from the local judiciary and distribute to students. In conjunction with the Associate Director, manage the Judicial Internship Program for first-year students.
• Assist the law school’s  marketing team with efforts and strategies for promoting law students and alumni. 
• Oversee the daily function of the career office team, including the supervision of staff members.  Manage staff effectively and cultivate a positive team dynamic within the law school and university communities.  Provide clear direction, training, feedback, mentoring, and opportunities for professional development.                    
• Create and administer the annual budget for the office, including oversight/use of procurement cards held by staff members within the office .

Doctoral (J.D.) is required and a minimum of four (4) years practical legal experience in a private, government or public-interest setting, or equivalent experience; experience or degree in career-counseling (preferably in a law school setting) or professional recruiting experience preferred; demonstrated management and supervisory experience. Licensed to practice law in one or more jurisdictions.